The Stories of My Life

My Saturday Evening Post: 11.18.17

THIRTEEN

This week we marked the anniversary of a life-changing decision we made in 2004.

HIM: Trust Me.
US: Oh, Lord, we do! We really do! And, we’re so excited! We can’t wait to dive into this new work You’ve given us to do.
HIM: Do you see that cliff?
US: Yes. Oh, yes, we see that! Should we stay away from that? Does it represent danger?
HIM: I want you to go to the edge.
US: Oh, OK. We do see it, though. We can see it from here.
HIM: Go on.
US: (Holding hands) OK.
HIM: Go closer.
US: (Look questioningly at each other, than to the Lord) Um, we’re pretty close already.
HIM: Closer.
US: (To each other) He was pretty emphatic, huh? We better do it. (Gingerly step closer. To the Lord) We’re going.
HIM: Right to the edge.
US: We won’t fall?
(SILENCE)
US: Lord?
(SILENCE)
US: Is this close enough?
(SILENCE)
US: (Inching right to the edge) Are we there? Are we there? OH! Can’t look down. Can’t look down! (To the Lord) Oh, I don’t think we can go any closer, Lord.
HIM: You can stop. You did well.
US: (Greatly relieved) Oh, thank You, Lord. Can we move back now?
(SILENCE)
US: It’s really kinda scary here.
(SILENCE)
US: Winds kinda picking up. Can You hear it whistling? Kinda pushes against us.
(SILENCE)
US: (Nervous laughter) Ha, ha. Wouldn’t want to fall, right? Not before we can get this work done for You, right? Lord? The wind? You can hear it, right?
(SILENCE)
US: Maybe, He’s trying to teach us something, like, “Being missionaries is like living on the edge.” (To the Lord) Is that is, Lord? Are You trying to teach us this is what it will feel like to walk by faith? Like the end is near?
(SILENCE)
US: (Reassuringly) Yeah, that’s what’s going on here. Totally getting that lesson out of this: it’s going to be scary—even terrifying—sometimes, but we won’t fall. Right, Lord? We’re lear——
HIM: (Interrupting) Are you ready?
US: Well, um, yeah. We’re here. We’re doing this. We’ve put our house in storage. We’ve moved to the “hood.” We’re doing this. We’re all in, Lord!
(SILENCE)
US: Um. May we step away from the cliff now?
HIM: Trust Me. It’s easier from there.
US: Easier? What’s easier?
HIM: Jumping.
(SILENCE)
HIM: Go ahead, then.
(SILENCE)
HIM: Jump!

That’s exactly what it was like! I remember. I remember the moment I realized going to the edge wasn’t enough. It’s not what He was asking. He was asking us to take a flying leap of faith! Not kidding. It was crazy, but we knew we were hearing His voice, and that’s why we jumped.

And, it’s been a free fall ever since! A 13-year-long free fall, yet the Lord has kept us the whole time. Isn’t that remarkable? He’s amazing. We think we’re going to bang against a rock, we think a crash is imminent, but it never happens. Somehow, the Lord keeps us. I mean, the stories we could tell—I suspect some of them would horrify you, but it’s not by our wits and wisdom we are still here. It’s is strictly God, and that blows my mind!

May He alone be glorified!

CAN YOU RELATE?

“The best training is to learn to accept everything as it comes,
as from Him whom our soul loves. The tests are always
unexpected things, not great things that can be written up,
but the common little rubs of life, silly little nothings,
things you are ashamed of minding one scrap.”Amy Carmichael

PEERS & FRIENDS

Been thinking about the difference between the two this week. I’ve never thought about it before, so I don’t know what I think about it, yet. Thoughts? I would really love to hear some thoughts on this.

REMEMBRANCES

Three years ago, my mother-in-law passed away. Marlene’s name lives on with Lucy (she is Lucille Marlene), and I’m grateful for that. I will always be thankful for time I had with here in her last year, but I will always be sorry for the time I squandered. I did not know much about love in those days. Still learning. Not an excuse, just the truth. I deeply regret that failure.

PICTURES FROM MY WEEK

This is the Great Hill Shelter. I’ve recently begun a women’s Bible study here, and it’s become a delightful part of week. I love how God works.

This is my dear Lucy, who is standing all the time now. She is such a gift.

She somehow managed to call up the camera on my phone, so I decided to take our picture.

A typical night off for us. Snacks in bed and something innocuous on the computer. This happened to be a new cooking competition from Australia. We enjoyed it quite a lot!

I have loved Erma Bombeck since I was a little kid. This is an image I made today from one of her quotes that made me laugh out loud.

2 thoughts on “My Saturday Evening Post: 11.18.17”

Peers – people who are in the same boat as you, whether by age or by vocation.
Friends – the people who actually listen when you talk.

Example: Although I have many peers at my current workplace, and although we talk from time to time, I’m hesitant to even send a FB friend request, let alone actually consider them “friends”

I too am a witness to the faithfulness of God, and know that the good place that I’m at now is because of Him, not me. When I made it through my “great tribulation”, I spent much time on my porch, in amazement of what a good place I was at, and realizing that I’d done nothing to get us there…kinda like a reverse Daniel 4 (the boasting of Nebuchadnezzar)